Cryptology 7.5 credits

About the course

Cryptography is essential in today’s digital society which is founded on secure and confidential communication. In practice, when implementing a system building on cryptography it is important to be aware of and to understand different methods’ strengths, limitations and theoretical backgrounds which often rely on modern mathematics.

The course covers a variety of encryption methods and protocols with a focus on foundational pillars of modern communication and those at the forefront of active research such as cryptographic algorithms safeguarded against quantum computers. The course includes both symmetric encryption (where the same key is used to both encrypt and decrypt messages), and asymmetric encryption (where a public key can be used by others to send you encrypted messages, but only you have the private key to decrypt them).

The course introduces different cryptographic tools and applications such as digital signatures, authentication, and cryptocurrencies. Basic cryptoanalysis will also be covered where strengths and weaknesses of different methods and protocols are discussed.

The course combines theory with practical activities including programming exercises.